Triple Negative Breast Cancer

University of Chicago breast cancer specialists are experienced in treating triple negative breast cancer, a rare form of breast cancer than occurs disproportionately in young women and African-American women, though it can occur in women of any age or ethnicity.

"Triple negative" means the tumor is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative and HER2-negative. Many common breast cancer treatments target these receptors, such as tamoxifen, which targets the estrogen receptor, and Herceptin (trastuzumab), which focuses on abnormally expressed HER2 receptors. A triple negative breast cancer diagnosis means the tumor will not respond to hormone therapies or drugs that target the HER2 overexpression, though other medicines are available. Here, we're conducting clinical trials of promising new treatments, including immunotherapies, which are drugs designed to boost the immune system's response to cancer rather than directly attacking tumors with chemotherapy.